Sign or license plate



Dec; 13, 1938.

C. BATCHELLER SIGN OR LICENSE PLATE Film July 2% 1337 'Patented Dec. 13, 1938 i 1,140,061 sr'GNoR LICENSE PLATE Clementsfatcheller, Glens Falls, N.- Y., assignerv to Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation,'Pitts hurgh, afcorporation of Pennsylvania` .Application Julyzv, 1937, steriel no.'155`,94 4

` 5 claims. (01. m4-125i ""j' My invention'relates to improvements in signs, and particularly in kroad 'signs,license plates and vthe like which, in'use, arejpositioned 'to be i1- luminated either directly or indirectly by ythe 53 :headlights of motor vehicles'. `While the invention is to be understood as not limited to license rplatesfor automobiles, it is particularly adapted vv therefor andthe principle of the invention will be' illustrated and explained in connection there- "'-to year, although at the present time atleast one State has adopted` a more or less Permanent type of plate provided with means whereby only an attached portion thereof `is, changed each year; The annual replacement of the all-metal type of. sign or license now ,almost universally used isa very costly proposition'not only'because must, or atleast in most cases do, go personally or send representatives to distribution centers `to obtain their new licenses.' ,More,over, signs of thepresent type which consist usuallyof embossed'jand enamel coated sheets or stripsof cheap metal are not -particularly durable and longer than about one year.

The maintenance of road signs is also 'very expensive. Signs of this type `which some years ago were usually made o f woodare being rapidly replaced in most States by castiron signs, I but-even these must be repaintedeveryyear or so in order to maintain vthem in readable convti'ally greaterdurability and longer life than those now in use. Another object is' toprovide a'de'vicel of this character which 'is readily vdiscernible 'and'easily readable at greater distancesA lthan'the' devicesA now commonly used. Another 45 object istov provide a -device of this Vcharacter i *in which, if necessary, the readablepcrtion may 5 automobiles o'f extremely light but strongcon- 55 'struction in which; they pruon bearing 'theu- 'cense-identifying 'characters mayfb'e replaced -'each'year, if desirable, atconsiderably less cost i than the present type of plates, or in which the 'portion bearing the license-identifyingcharacters may be used f or two or vincre years butin 'and useful way.

License plates for motor vehicles in most States l are changed both inA number and color from yearl of the cost f the signs themselves and the bookkeeping expense involved in changing the records annually, but also'because the licensees are not designed for'a useful and legibleliie of of license plate;

the frame corner; and

which a year-identifying insert may bepiaced annually. A further object is'to provide a novel form of licenseplate comprising a plurality of sheet elements which. are vbound together and adapted to be secured to an automobile in a novel With these objects in view, my invention includes the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereoidescribed below and illustrated in` the accompanying drawing in VFig. 1 is an `elevation view of my license plate assembly;

Fig. 2 is avvertical cross section, to an enlarged scale, in the .plane 2--2of Fig. l;

Fig.' 3 is a fragmentary ,cross Vsection similar to Fig. 2 butto a somewhat larger scale showing a detail; f

Fig.- 4` iSfaIragmentary elevationview of a detail;

Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 4 in the vplane 5 5; Fig. `i'is a fragmentary cross section, yto an enlarged scale, of thevarious sheets going to make up my sign;

`liig. '1 is a fragmentary cross section, to an venlarged scale, showing one, ofthe ways in which the letter or Vlicense-i.'ientifying characters are affixed to the sign;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross section showing how the letters or identifying characters may be embossed and colored;

Fig. 9`is an elevation view of a modifie'dtype Fig. 10 is a crossl section, to anenlarged scale, of Fig. 9 in the plane lll- 40; Fig. 11 is an elevation view of en 'a'nnual in` sert;y f V Fig. 12 is a plan View of ametal blank used to form 'the frame; i ,2

Fig. 1'3 isA afragmentary perspectiveview of Fig. 14 is an endelevationview of the license plate, attached to a support on kthe automobile.

' Referringto the drawing, I represents genferally a. license plate embodying some `of the features of my invention. i be quickly vand cheaply replaced as aunit. An-

'fcthe'robject' is to provide a license plateA for Such sheet mayy beV of any suitable, non-brittle.

and preferably flexible material which will be permanently transparent andof a permanent color. l. prefer to use cellulose-acetate because of its cheapness, flexibility and transparency combined with its stability after long exposure f to sunlight and all kinds of weather conditions. Pm'thermore. this material is thermoplastic in s character and may be moderately deep formed" in a die or mold. However, sheets or films of nitrocellulose, vinyl films and other resinous materials having the above .characteristics may be used. A lcomparatively newY thermoplastic ma terial, methyl methacrylate, and which is sold c under the trade name of "Lucite or Pontalite" is particularly well adapted for my purpose. Such sheets can be obtained in almost any reasonable size, thickness and transparent color desired, although sheets of a thickness say from about ,018" to .020? are heavy enough to serve my purposes. 'lhe letters or license-identifying characters may be formed 4by adhesively securing or printingvthem onthe back'of the sheet 20.2 asshown at 8 (see Figs. 1 and 7), ortheymay c be embossed therein'as shown at I in Figs. ,2, 8 and 10. The characters areopaque, and if embossed, the depressions formed inthe back lof the sheet 2, as shownat l (Fig. 8). may bev 2s filled with paint or any other opaque coloring mterial Immediately behind the transparent sheet 2 r position a 'sheet of reflecting material 1 ywhich is preferably a corrosion-resistant alloy steel so having a highlypolished, lustrous surface adapt-y ed to renect light through the transparent zones fin the sheet 2. I prefer to use'a stainless steel as la reflecting unit because vof the permanency -0`f its lustrous surface which will not corrode, sa tarnish or diminish in brilliancy when exposed to atmospheric conditions. Where a cheaper and less permanent construction will servethe purpose, it is possible to use certain of theV white metals or alloys such as tin, nickel, aluminum,

be'somewhat'prolonged by coating the polished l surface with a heavy i'ilm kof transparent lacquer.

'I'he back .of the sign is formed by a comparatively heavy, say 30y gauge. steel sheet t which has been dipped in lacquer to prevent corrosion. Wherea stainless' steel reflecting sheet is used,

it may be of relatively thin gauge.. say from .005" to .015" in thickness and, in order to prevent electrolysis between the reflecting sheet 1 and the backing steel sheet 8 I interpose therebetween an insulating layer l preferably formed of asphalt impregnated paper which is adhesively secured to the back of the reflecting sheet 1.

55 The sheets which form my sign are preferably held in assembled lrelation by means of a suitable surrounding frame I0 shown in detail in Figs. 12 and 13. A sheet or strip, preferably of stainless steel, is blanked out, las shown at Ii, with the tongues or projections Il extending from the top and bottom thereof. The frame may be die .formed to the L-section shown at I2 injFig. 13 to forma frame having an inwardly projecting lip all around the front, as shown at I l. The

sheet vassemblyis provided with slottedperforations-il, and the tongues il are provided with correspondingly slotted openings il therein. When the tongues'are bent downwardly to the position I8', as shown in Fig. 13, the openings it therein will register with the slotted openings Il through the sheet assembly. Bolts I1 may then be passed through the openings Il in the sheet assembly and the openings II in the tongues and thus secure the frame and sheet assembly to- 1g Agether as a unit. Either the bolts through the etc. in the form of thin sheets or foils. However,

say, where it is intended to be vused for more than one year, I emboasor forwardly offset the upper central portion of the transparentsheet 2 Yas shown at 2| in Figs. 9 andf10.v s thus forminginthe back of the sheet adepression 22 adapted to receive an annual insert strip 23 such as shown in Fig; 11. This strip may comprise a thin sheet of cellulose, acetate or other material and has printed thereon characters 2l designating the state and characters 2l designating the year. These characters are preferably in a distinctive color. Between the characters 24 'and 2l the state seal may be embossed in the strip4 II as shown at 20 to make counterfeiting more dimcult.

Referring to Figs. 4' and 5. my sign or license lends itself readily to the formation thereon ot red danger si by vadhesively securing to the back of the eet 2 a thin'red disc or film 21 of transparent material such as cellulose acetate.

reflected through the tinted sheet.

In order to `prevent water-.from running down -the face of the license plate and between the frame and the sheet 2 at the bottom, I prefer to press out or emboss a bead .28 in the sheet 2 which will be positioned.ln the assembly just above the edge of the frame-lip i4.

Whilesome objections have been `registered to the dazzling eifect produced by light reflected from metal license plates having alustrous surface, it will be .found that my plate is not open to this objection. While I obtain maximum brilliancy and visibility by` means of mylustrous reflecting sheet. the light renected therefrom in passing through the colored sheet 2 is more or less diilused and will "not dazzlel the eyes of approaching drivers. s

From the foregoing it will beapparent that where it is desirable to change the license numbers each year, only the transparent Vsheets 2,

which are very light andl very exible, need be changed. 0n the other hand, where a userv is permitted to hold the same numbers indefinitely, it is only' necessary for the state to issue two insert strips each year which are so light and small as to be mailable at minimum postage rates.

What I claim is:

l. A device ofthe character described comprislng a facing sheet having transparent and opaque zones ofcontrasting color therein arranged to define characters, such as letters or numerals, means behind and contiguous said sheet having a lustrous, light-reflecting surface adapted to reflect light through Vthe transparent zones of said sheet; a frame -having portions engaging theface of said device about the periphery thereof and provided with bendable tongues overlying ,zone in said sheet adapted to permit an annual indicating card to be positioned therein and appear therethrough, means behind and contiguous said sheet having a lustrous, light-reflecting surface adapted to reflect light through said sheet,

` and a frame securing said sheet and said lightreflecting means together in assembled relation with said annual indicating card therebetween.

3. Adevice of the character described comprising a facing element of flexible. transparent material having opaque zones 'thereon defining characters, such as letters or numerals, a sheet of thin-gauge, flexible, corrosion-resisting metal having a lustrous, light-reilecting surface contiguous and coextensive with theback of said facing element, a sheet of electrical insulating material substantially coextensive with and adhesively secured tothe back of said metal sheet, and a frame surrounding andl protecting the edges of said facing, metal and insulating material and securing the whole together incompactly assembled relation.

'4. A device of the character described comprising a facing element of flexible, transparent material having opaque zones thereon dening characters, suchA as letters or numerals, a sheet of thin-gauge, exible, corrosion-resisting steel having a lustrous, light-reecting surface contiguous and coextensive with the back of said facing element, a substantially rigid, metal, backing element, a sheet of.electrical insulating material intermediate said steel and said backing element, and a frame securing the whole together in compactly assembled relation. v

5. A device of the character described comprising a facing element of flexible, transparent material having opaque zones thereon defining characters, such as letters or numerals, a sheet of thin-gauge, flexible, corrosion-resisting steel having a lustrous, light-reflecting surface contiguous and coextensive with the back of said facing element, 4a substantially rigid, metal, backing element, a sheet of electrical insulating material substantially coextensive with and adheisively securedto the back of said steel sheet, whereby to prevent electrical contact between said sheet and lsaidfmetal backing element, and a frame surrounding and protecting vthe edges of said elements and said insulating material and holding them together in compactly assembled relation.

v CLEMENTE BA'ICHEILER. 

